With the Bad Times, Comes the Good
by Kathey0607
Summary: This story is from the view of a young teenager, Stephanie Mason, Roy and Johnny assist after she has an appendix rupture. Roy develops a connection with the young woman and through that connection she is taken in as an honorary member of the A-shift fam
1. Chapter 1

First let me say That Emergency and its characters are the property of some one else and that I understand that I hold no creative clam to them.

**I wish to thank ****Gracie O'Malley for being my beta reader.**

**With the Bad Times, Come the Good**

This story is from the view of a young teenager, Stephanie Mason, Roy and Johnny assist after she has an appendix rupture. Roy develops a connection with the young woman and through that connection she is taken in as an honorary member of the A-shift family at station 51.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I always appreciate feed back, It let's me know I've done something right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**  
**Alone **

Stephanie was sitting in the apartment she shared with her Mom. It wasn't very big; it had a small bathroom, one small bedroom and a kitchen/living room. Stephanie and her mother didn't have much, but what they did have was enough. Their apartment was simply furnished with an old couch that was quite cozy, if you sat in just the right spot. Their prized possession was a nice reclining chair that Stephanie's Mom would sit in and relax when she got home from work. Both Stephanie and her mother had saved together to buy it. In the bedroom there was one queen size bed that the two shared. They even had a small black and white TV to watch, but Stephanie preferred to read books instead. In fact, her greatest treasure was her library card.

Stephanie was plain looking for the most part; she had long auburn hair and blue green eyes, the same as her mother. She was tall and thin with a pale complexion. Most of the time Stephanie was the only one home, because her mother worked two jobs to pay the rent and to make sure that there was always food on the table. This made a lonely life for Stephanie as she was fifteen now and she hadn't needed a sitter for a long time. As for friends, she didn't have any because who would want to be friends with a girl who always wore second-hand clothing and didn't have cash for the mall, movies or the arcade?

School had ended for the summer and that made life a lot lonelier for Stephanie. And to top it all off she hadn't been feeling well lately, her stomach had been hurting off and on and she hadn't felt like eating much either. She hadn't told her mother because she already had enough to deal with.

Stephanie was lying on the bed trying to ignore the pain in her stomach and read a book. Both of which was hard to do because the pain was getting worse and she was sweating and cold. Finally after trying to deal with it for another hour it had gotten so bad that she couldn't stand it any longer, and she finally decided to called her Mom at Frankie's , a dinner where she worked waiting tables.

"Frankie's how may we serve you," the voice on the other line said.

"Can I talk to Amy?" Stephanie asked, tying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry she busy at the moment," the voice at the other end said. "Would you like to leave a message?"

"Yes, please have her call her daughter as soon as possible," Stephanie said. Then she hung up the phone and let the tears come. She was hurting real bad now and was really getting frightened because there was no one else she could call for help and she didn't know what else she could do.

"Dear Father in Heaven please help me," Stephanie prayed quickly. Just then the thought to call the fire department popped into her head. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of that before. Her Mother had a list of emergency phone numbers by the phone all the time. Stephanie moved over to the kitchen area where the list was hanging next to the phone and called the fire department.

"What is the emergency," the voice on the other line asked. The voice sounded so sincere like there was someone who really cared.

"I need help please," Stephanie sobbed into the phone.

"Take it easy," the voice said, "Tell me what the problem is."

"My stomach hurts really bad," Stephanie told the person on the other line

"We will get some help to you as soon as we can," the voice assured her. "But first we need your address."

"One fifty-six Clark Street, apartment number twenty five," Stephanie said.

"Thank you," the voice said. "We have help on the way. Is there anything else I can do to help you?"

Stephanie wanted to tell the voice to keep talking to her, because that meant she wasn't alone, but instead she replied, "No, thank you," and hung up the phone. By this time she was hurting so bad she could move without it causing severe pain, so she just lay there on the Kitchen floor crying.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**  
**The Fire Department**

A little while later she heard sirens blaring and she could tell that they were getting closer. Finally they stopped right in front of her apartment complex. Next she heard voices coming down the hall way and then someone knocking on the door.

"Fire department is any one in there," a voice boomed out.

"Yes," Stephanie cried out, "Please help me."

She heard someone try to open the door, but her mother had always made her promise to keep the door locked when she was home alone. "It's locked," Stephanie called out. "It hurts too much to move, please hurry."

Just then there was a loud crash and two men hurried into the room looking around for their patient. They quickly spotted her lying on the floor. One of the two men knelt down next to her and gently touched her forehead.

"She's running a fever," he said to the other man who was kneeling at the other side of her.

"Hi there," the first man said. "My name is Roy DeSoto and this is my partner John Gage. What's your name?"

"Stephanie Mason," she said with a sob.

"Well Stephanie, can you tell me what happened?" John asked as he wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm.

"My stomach hurts," Stephanie responded.

"How long has it been hurting?" Roy asked.

"Off and on the past week but it got really bad about an hour ago," Stephanie explained. "Please help me," she begged.

"We will," Roy said. "But it's important for you to try and relax." Roy turned and opened an orange colored box, one of three they had carried in with them. He attached an antenna to it and picked up a phone receiver and said, "Rampart, this is Squad Fifty-one."

"We read you Fifty-one," Stephanie heard another voice say.

"Rampart, we have a female victim around seventeen years of age." Stephanie smiled a little when she heard him say that. It was okay that he thought she was seventeen. "She is complaining of severe pain in her lower right abdominal area. She's had the pain off and on for the past week, but it has become more severe in the last hour. Her respirations are twenty-three and shallow, and her pulse is one forty, and she seems to be running a fever."

"Her BP is one forty over eighty," John added. Roy quickly repeated the information over the phone.

"Ten-four, Fifty-one," the voice from the box said. "Is there a parent around to give permission to treat?

"Negative, Rampart," Roy answered.

"See if you can find or contact her parents, Fifty-one, and transport as soon as possible." The voice from the box said.

"Ten-four Rampart," Roy acknowledged.

"Stephanie, can you tell me how to reach your Mom or Dad?" John asked her.

"My Mom works at Frank- ," she began to tell him, but the pain took her voice away. Roy placed his hand on her forehead.

"Take it easy everything is going to be okay," he told her. After a few moments Stephanie was able to tell them that phone number for her Mom's workplace was by the phone. Then she added, "But it's rush hour, they won't let you talk to her."

John stood up and located the phone number and dialed it. While he was waiting for someone to pick up on the other end he asked, "What is your mother's Name?"

"Amy," Stephanie replied.

Just then someone must have answered the phone because John said, "Yes, My name is John Gage I'm with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, I need to speak to Amy Mason it's an emergency."

Moments later John was talking to her Mother. "Mrs. Mason this is John Gage from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, I'm standing in your kitchen with your daughter, and she is very sick. We need your permission to treat her." There was a moment of quiet while John listened to her mother, then he said, "Thank you Mrs. Mason, we will be taking her to Rampart Emergency. If you could meet us there, we will need you to give your consent in writing."

As soon as Roy realized that Stephanie's mother had given oral consent he picked up the receiver from the orange box and said, "Rampart, this is Fifty-one, we have a parent's verbal consent."

"Ten-four, Fifty-one, administer an IV-D5W with MS and transport as soon as possible," the voice in the box replied.

"Ten-four Rampart," Roy replied back." Be aware that the ambulance has arrived and we will be there in ten minutes."

John quickly returned to Stephanie's side and opened another box and pulled out a bag of liquid and some tubing and other equipment. Then he turned back to Stephanie and told her, "We are going to start an IV that has some medicine that will help with the pain."

"Thank you," Stephanie replied as new tears rolled down her face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**  
**The Ambulance and Emergency room**

Moments later Stephanie was being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Roy climbed in with her and patted her on the shoulder.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"It doesn't hurt as much," Stephanie answered. "And I'm feeling tired."

"That's good," Roy replied. "That means the medicine we gave you is working." It didn't take long before the ambulance stopped at the Emergency room doors at Rampart. The back doors opened and the gurney she was on began to move as she was pulled from the ambulance. Roy was standing to the side of the gurney as they rolled her through the doors. Stephanie reached out and took hold of Roy's hand. Roy quickly turned his eyes down to look at her.

"Can you stay with me for a little while?" she asked.

Roy looked down at the scared teenager and smiled.

"Sure, no problem." Then they turned a corner and a nurse directed them to Room Four. Stephanie was quickly rolled into the designated room and lifted off the gurney and onto another bed in the room. Roy pulled his hand free of Stephanie's and hung her IV bag on a pole next to the bed. Then the ambulance attendants took their gurney and left the room. Stephanie watched Roy to make sure he wasn't going to leave too.

"Who do we have here Roy?" the nurse asked. Roy smiled down at Stephanie

"Dixie this is Stephanie Mason," he replied, then he turned and waved his hand at the nurse and said, "Stephanie, this is nurse Dixie McCall."

Dixie smiled at the young woman and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Stephanie. I'm sorry you are not feeling so good but I promise with help you to feel better soon." Just then another man with black hair entered the room. He was wearing a white coat with a stethoscope poking out of one of the pockets.

"Stephanie this is Dr. Brackett," Dixie explained.

"Hi," Stephanie said, looking up at the doctor.

"Well let's take a look at you," the Doctor said, as he stepped up to the side of the gurney and pulled the blanket back that covered her. "Tell me when it hurts," he said as he started pressing on her abdomen. When he got to the right side, Stephanie cried out in pain. "I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized. Then he turned to Dixie and said, "Get me her CBC, blood gases and get an x-rays of her abdomen." Then he left the room and the nurse turned to the cabinets along the wall and started gathering various pieces of equipment. When she turned around Stephanie saw a needle on the tray she was carrying over to her.

"Roy, would you hold my hand," Stephanie asked.

"Sure, no problem," he said as he stepped to the opposite side of the gurney and took Stephanie's hand.

Dixie smiled at Stephanie and with a wink she said, "He's a married man you know." Stephanie didn't register what Dixie had said, because she was paying too much attention to the needle that was on her tray.

Roy followed Stephanie's gaze and asked, "What grade are you in school?" Trying to get her attention away from the needle. Stephanie didn't answer, so Roy gently squeezed her hand and she turned her head and looked up at him. "What grade are you in school?" he asked again.

"I just finished my freshman year in Jr. High School," she replied, then she turned her eyes back to the needle. Roy gently squeezed her hand again.

"Don't watch Dixie, look at me," he said. "Do you know what you want to do after you graduate?" Stephanie looked back in to Roy's face and shook her head. "What do you like to do?"

"I like reading and cooking," Stephanie replied.

"Really? Do you have any good recipes you could recommend?" Roy asked. "It's my turn to cook dinner tonight." That surprised Stephanie, she had never thought about how the food was prepared for the fireman.

"Not really," she replied. By this time, Dixie had finished getting the blood sample she needed. The door to the room opened and a large machine was pushed into the room by another man dressed in white. Dixie told the man that the Doctor wants a complete view of the abdomen. Stephanie was now feeling very tired and her eye lids were half closed. Roy squeezed her hand again.

"I have to go now Stephanie, but you're in good hands," he told her. Stephanie nodded her head and closed her eyes allowing sleep to flood over her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

**New Friends**

It turned out that Stephanie's appendix had ruptured, but the doctors were able to clean things up. When Stephanie awoke she found herself in a hospital room recovering from surgery. Her mother was at her bed side when she woke up, and stayed with her until ten o'clock that night.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you, Steph," her mother said, with tears in her eyes. "I need to keep working because we really need the money. Especially with these hospital bills to pay now."

"I understand," Stephanie replied. "I'll be okay Mom. Don't worry about me."

Her mother wiped her eyes, then bent over and kissed Stephanie on the forehead before giving her a quick hug. "Good night sweetheart," she said and then left the room. Stephanie held back the tears for a few minutes, just in case her mother might step back in through the doors.

"_I hate being alone_," she said to herself. "_And being in this hospital in pain makes it even worse_." Finally, she gave in to her emotions and began to cry, though it didn't take long before she fell asleep. She woke up the next morning to a nurse taking her blood pressure.

"Breakfast will be in soon," the Nurse said, with a smile on her face.

"_At least I have something to look forward too_," Stephanie told herself.

A little while later, the nurse came back into the room carrying a tray. She set it on the table that hung over Stephanie's bed and removed the cover from the food. Stephanie stared at the bowl of green Jell-O and the glass of apple juice.

"Oh joy," she said to the nurse, as she picked up the spoon and scooped some of the Jell-O up and into her mouth.

The nurse smiled and explained, "We need to keep your meals light for a day or two until you heal up some." Stephanie gave the nurse a half smile and sipped some of her apple juice, but as soon as the nurse left the room she pushed the table away and turned her head to look out the window.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At station Fifty-one, B shift had arrived and Johnny and Roy were changing into their civilian clothing.

"Johnny," Roy called. "Would you like to stop at Rampart with me on the way home?"

"Are you still thinking about the young girl with appendicitis?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking it would be nice if we could check in on her and see how she's doing." Roy explained.

"Roy, remember rule number one," Johnny began.

"We're not supposed to get too close," Roy finished. "It's too late for that. When she asked me to stay with her for a little while…well, anyway, I just thought it would be good to check on her a time or two while she is in the hospital."

"Okay I'll go with you," Johnny said. "Someone's got to keep you from getting too attached."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Around nine am there was a knock at the door. Stephanie wondered who it could be. The nurses and doctors didn't knock, and her Mother was at work already.

"Come in," she called out. The door opened and the two paramedics who had helped her walked into the room wearing civilian clothing.

"Good Morning," they both called out to her.

"What's good about it?" Stephanie snapped back. A quick frown came to John's face, but Roy stepped to the side of her bed. John lingered by the door.

"You have visitors," Roy said. Stephanie sighed.

"I'm very grateful for all you did for me yesterday, but you don't have to visit me," she said.

"You're right," Roy answered. "We don't have to, but we want too." Stephanie looked up at Roy, tears starting to roll down her face.

"Thank You," she said.

"Hey, there's no need for tears," Roy said, as he picked up her hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"It's just that Mom and I don't have many friends," Stephanie explained, as she wiped the tears off her cheek with her other hand. "And the one's we do have would never take the time to come and check on me."

"Well, you have two new friends," John said, as he walked over to stand next to Roy.

"Thank you, John," Stephanie said as she looked into his smiling face.

"Call me Johnny," he told her.

"Okay Johnny." Stephanie then felt a need to further explain things. "We don't have many friends because Mom has to work two jobs to make ends meet." She turned her eyes to Roy and added, "I don't get out of the house much, because Mom worries about me if I'm not home." Then with a sigh she said to no one in particular, "With everything that has happened, she is going to freak out and when I get home she will be calling me every half an hour to make sure I'm okay."

"Only because she loves you and is concerned about your well being, "Roy replied.

"I know," Stephanie answered, with another sigh.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Johnny asked.

"Not really," Stephanie answered. Then she thought of something and smiled slyly. "By any chance could you sneak in some real food?"

"Like what," Johnny asked, returning her sly smile.

"Anything would be better than this," Stephanie replied, pointing to her tray.

"Well, the apple juice looks good," Roy commented.

"It would be better if it was chilled," Stephanie remarked.

"I think we can manage that," Roy said as he picked up her juice and left the room.

"Roy told me you like to read," Johnny said, after Roy had left the room. "Is there anything I can get you from the hospital's library to read?"

"I like action and adventure stories," Stephanie told him. "Do you have anything to recommend?"

"I'm sure I can find something you'll like," Johnny said as he turned towards the door. When he opened the door, Roy stepped inside.

"Mission accomplished. Nice chilled apple juice."

"I'm running to the library. Be back in a minute," Johnny explained, then left the room. Stephanie took the cup Roy handed her and took a little sip.

"That's much better," she said, draining the cup.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Roy asked.

"Why don't you call me Steph?" Stephanie suggested.

"Ok, Steph it is," Roy replied. Then they talked for awhile about Roy's life at the fire station, Steph's life alone in her apartment and even a little about Roy's family. Stephanie offered to baby sit his kids, after she recovered of course. It took Johnny fifteen minutes to return, and when he did, he was carrying 5 paperback books that he laid on Stephanie's table.

"I think this will keep you busy for a day or two," he said.

"Thank you," Stephanie told him, giving him a smile.

"Well, we need to get moving on," Roy said. "But we'll stop by again when we can." Stephanie didn't want them to leave but she knew she had no right to ask them to stay any longer. She knew that they had lives of their own. Then a thought came to her mind. "_They might even have other people they had rescued that they wanted to visit_." That was it, she was just another one of their rescues they had made and they were checking up on her just like they did with all the other people they helped. She waved at the two men as they left the room then she turned to the stack of books. She picked one of them up and flipped through the pages, glancing at the back cover. But she didn't feel like reading right now. She returned the book to the stack and returned to staring out the window, feeling sorry for herself again. It wasn't long before the tears started spilling down her face again.

Just then, the door opened and Roy walked back into the room with another cup of apple juice in his hand. He noticed Stephanie quickly wiping at the tears on her face.

"Hey, what wrong?"

"I guess I just don't like being alone," Stephanie replied, as she fought to keep her tears at bay.

"Everything is going to be okay," Roy said, setting the juice on her table. "I thought you might like some more chilled juice." Then he took her hand, squeezed it again and told her, "You get some rest now and I will stop buy again sometime tomorrow." Stephanie nodded her head, closed her eyes and lay back against her pillow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Roy left the room and walked down to the Emergency section of the hospital, where he met up with Johnny, who was talking with Dixie.

"Hey Dix," he called, walking up to them. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"I can try," Dixie replied, wondering what kind of a favor he had in mind.

"Do you remember Stephanie? The young girl from the other day?"

"The young lady that came in with appendicitis yesterday?" Dixie asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," he confirmed. "Could you stop by every once in a while and visit with her? She's really feeling lonely."

"Sure," Dixie agreed, winking at him. Roy turned to leave, but stopped to add something else. "Oh, and bring her some chilled apple juice."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

**Recovery**

Stephanie's Mom was at the hospital every evening for an hour between her two jobs. Stephanie was always happy to see her walk through the door, but it was heart-wrenching when she had to leave. Roy and Johnny kept their word and visited every chance they got. Dixie, the Emergency room nurse, kept her word as well and stopped by from time to time. Stephanie was grateful each time someone visited and she found that with the care of the hospital staff she wasn't alone for very long. Whenever Roy and Dixie stopped by they always brought her apple juice, and she was starting to get a little sick of it.

Three days after her surgery the doctors told her she was ready to go home. Her mother took the day off from her morning job, which was cleaning motel rooms at Motel 6, so she could pick her up and then stay with her for awhile to make sure she was settled in at home. As the nurse was pushing Stephanie out in a wheelchair, Roy and Johnny rounded the corner to say goodbye.

"Mom," Stephanie said. "This is Roy and Johnny; they are the two paramedics that got me to the hospital."Amy Mason stepped over to the two men and shook their hands.

"Thank you so much," she said as tears began to show at the corners of her eyes.

"No problem," Johnny said. "That's what we get paid to do." Roy gave Johnny a glare.

"We also enjoy helping people and we're glad that we could be there for Stephanie when she needed us," he said.

"Oh yeah, what Roy said," Johnny said quickly, almost jabbering.

"Mrs. Mason If it's alright with you, we would like to give Stephanie the phone number for our station, Station Fifty-one, so she can call if she should need help or even just to talk to someone," Roy said. Mrs. Mason turned to look at Stephanie to see what she thought about that idea. Stephanie was looking back at her mother with a big smile on her face. It was clear to all that she liked the idea.

After Stephanie and her mother got home, her mother settled her into the bed and brought her some orange juice. Then, with a note pad and pencil, she sat down on the edge of the bed and explained to her when she was to take her pain medication and how much to take. She told her to make sure she wrote down when she took her medicine each time she took some, that way she could make sure that it had been at least four hours since the last dose was taken. That taken care of, Stephanie's mother relaxed and lay down on the other side of the bed. The two talked and giggled together until it was almost time for her to go to work.

Amy quickly fixed Stephanie some dinner, brought it to her and then kissed her on the forehead before leaving. She made sure to lock the door behind her. Soon after her mother had left, Stephanie climbed out of the bed, moved into the reclining chair, picked up a book and began to read.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Amy returned home from work that night she found Stephanie in their bed asleep. Not wanting to bump her during the night she picked up a blanket and went to the recliner to sleep.

The next morning, when Stephanie woke up and realized what her mother had done, she asked, "Why didn't you come to bed last night?"

"I didn't want to disturb you dear," Amy told her, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

"Mom, we have shared a bed for as long as I can remember. Not having you there would be more disturbing."

"What if I bumped your side?" Amy pointed out. "Then you would have been in pain and not able to sleep."

"Mom, if that worries you so much, then I'll sleep in the chair and you can have the bed," Stephanie suggested.

"No, that's okay Steph, it will only be for a few days, and then we can get back to normal."

"No, mother!" Stephanie exclaimed. "You work two jobs every day. You need to get a good night sleep more than I do. If I don't sleep well during the night, I can make up for it while you're at work." Amy turned to look at her daughter. Stephanie was all she had and she wished that she could give her more. It had torn Amy apart when the paramedic had called her at work to tell her that her daughter was ill and that they were going to take her to the Emergency room. There were many things she wished she could give her daughter, but the one she wished for the most was to be able to be there for her daughter when she needed her most. However that wasn't possible if they were to have food on the table and a roof over their heads.

"Don't worry about that now, Steph," Amy said. "We can talk about that tonight when I get home." Stephanie knew that her mother was just putting it off in hopes that she wouldn't have to discuss it when she got home. She sighed and looked at her mother.

"I love you Mom and I worry about you. You work so hard."

"I'm okay Steph," her mother said, using the same tone of voice she used when she wanted an end to the discussion. Stephanie relented, and Amy kissed her on the forehead before leaving the apartment, locking the door behind her. Stephanie had gotten a bit worked up worrying about her mother. She was frustrated and didn't know what to do to ensure that her mother got the quality night's sleep that she needed. The more she thought about it the more frustrated she became. Finally, she decided that she needed to talk with someone, anyone, to help her work out a situation to her dilemma.

Stephanie picked up the card Roy had given her at the hospital. "_He said I could call if I needed anything…even just to talk." _She picked up the phone and dialed the number, sitting down at the table. It only took two rings before someone on the other end picked up.

"Los Angeles County Fire Department, Station Fifty-one. This is Captain McGuire. How can I help?" The voice asked. Stephanie almost hung up the phone. Instead, she spoke quickly.

"Is Roy available to come to the phone?"

"No I'm sorry, he's not in today," Captain McGuire replied. "Can I help you?"

"No, that's okay," Stephanie said, and then a thought popped into her head. "This isn't an emergency," she quickly explained.

"That's always good to hear," the Captain responded, a bit of humor evident in his voice. Stephanie was just about to say goodbye when she realized that it would be good to know what Roy's work schedule was. That way, if she tried to call again she wouldn't be disturbing anyone else.

"When is Roy going to be back?" she inquired.

"Roy's next shift starts tomorrow morning," the Captain answered. "Would you like to leave a message for him?" Stephanie wasn't sure that was a good idea. After a few moments of silence the Captain spoke up. "Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yes," Stephanie quickly answered. "I don't think a message will be necessary." She said goodbye and was about to hang up the phone when Captain McGuire spoke again.

"Can I tell Roy who called?"

"Steph," Stephanie quickly said, and hung up the phone. She felt stupid for calling. This was her problem and she shouldn't need someone else to help her solve it. She vowed that she wouldn't call again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Back at Station Fifty-one, Captain McGuire kept thinking about the phone call he had answered from the young lady. He wondered whether he should give Roy a call and tell him or if he should just forget about it and let the girl call back tomorrow, when Roy was on shift. He had dismissed the thought to call Roy several times, but it kept returning to his thoughts, so finally he gave in and called Roy at home.

"Hi Roy, this is Captain McGuire."

"Hi Cap, what can I do for you?" Roy asked. He wondered why the captain from C shift was calling him. The first thought that came to mind was that one of their paramedics had been injured and they wanted him to come in early. "Has something happened to Brian or Toby?"

"No, everything is fine here. I got a call this morning from a young lady by the name of Steph," Captain McGuire explained. "She wanted to talk to you but she didn't want to leave a message. It's been nagging me all morning long, so I decided to call you and tell you about it."

"Thanks Cap," Roy answered. "I'm glad you did. I'll take care of it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Later that afternoon, Stephanie was sleeping when there was a knock at the door that woke her. "_Who could that be_?" she asked herself. She slowly made her way to the door and asked, "Who is it?"

"Roy DeSoto." Stephanie opened the door a crack and peeked around the door. Upon seeing Roy's friendly face looking back at her she opened the door all the way.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by and see how you were doing," Roy replied. "Is everything going okay?"

"Yes," was all Stephanie said, as she stepped back and allowed Roy to enter.

"That's good. How's your Mom doing?" he asked, giving her a smile. Stephanie turned her back to Roy, and walked over to the recliner. She gingerly lowered herself into the big chair and wiped at the tears that were now spilling down her face. Roy followed Stephanie, and when he came around to face her, he noticed her tears. "Hey now, what's the matter?" he asked, as he knelt down next to the chair and reached out to take her hand.

"I'm worried about my Mom," Stephanie said, trying to stifle the squeak in her voice, with little success.

"Is she sick or something?" Roy asked.

"No, not yet," Stephanie answered with a sniff. Then she quickly explained about her mother's fear of hurting her during the night because they shared the same bed. "She's sleeping in the chair instead of coming to bed. You see, my Mom works two jobs. In the morning, she works at Motel 6 until three in the afternoon. Then she comes home, changes clothes, eats dinner and then she's off to her second job at Frankie's where she works until eleven at night. She needs to get her sleep or she'll get sick." More tears began to roll down her face.

Roy listened as Stephanie ranted on about her fears and concerns, nodding from time to time to let her know that he understood. Finally, after she had finished venting all her frustrations, Roy spoke.

"If you were asleep in the chair when she comes home, then she will either have to wake you up or go to bed to sleep."Stephanie was dumbstruck. Why hadn't she thought of that? It was so simple. If she was asleep in the chair when her mother came home, her mother wouldn't wake her. She would simply go to sleep in the bed. Now she felt embarrassed.

"You must be thinking I'm a silly boo-hoo girl," she said, she turning away from Roy and beginning to cry even harder. "You must think I cry over any little problem." Then she turned back to Roy. "I'm sorry for all the tears. I don't know why I'm crying so much," She apologized, sobbing as she wiped away her tears. Roy took her hand again and patted it.

"I know why you are so emotional. Your body is still working hard to heal it's self. This makes you tire easier. With that fatigue, your mind becomes muddled and you're more prone to emotional outbursts." Stephanie thought it was such a relief to have some kind of understanding of her situation. That helped her to relax and feel a bit easier about her problems. She quickly thanked Roy for helping her out and told him she thought everything was going to be okay now, and that he didn't have to stay any longer. Roy smiled and stood up, reaching down to ruffle Stephanie's hair.

"I'm glad I could help," he said. Then he pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it to her. "If you need to talk again, please call. This is my home number and my work schedule." Stephanie stood and took the paper from Roy. She walked him to the door and thanked him again. Then she watched him walk down the stairwell. She closed the door when he was out of sight and locked it, glad that she had a plan to get her Mother to sleep in the bed. She was also grateful for this new friend of the family.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Amy came home that night, she found Stephanie asleep in the recliner. A little smile came to her lips and she raised her head to the ceiling and whispered a little prayer. "Thank you, Father, for such a loving and obedient daughter." Amy knew that in this world of teenagers, Stephanie was a minority. She saw other girls her age at the Motel and at Frankie's and the only people they seemed to care about was themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6  
Station Fifty-one**

During the next two weeks Stephanie called Roy twice. Both times she had been upset by some trifling thing. All she really needed was someone to talk too, and Roy was always happy to chat with her. She even got an opportunity to visit with Roy's wife Joanne. And she was just as supportive of Stephanie as Roy had been.

After being cooped up in the apartment for two weeks, Stephanie decided it was time to go out. She had originally decided to ride her bike to the library, but on a whim she picked up the Yellow pages and found the address for Fire Station Fifty-one. It wasn't that far from where she lived, an easy bike ride.

Stephanie took the time to bake a small batch of cookies and packed them into a paper bag. Then she set out to find the fire station and Roy, so she could give him the cookies, as a way to say thank you. It took Stephanie thirty minutes to transverse the distance between her apartment and the station. She parked her bike on the right side of the red brick building and stepped into the visitor's door. "Hello," she called at the partition that separated visitors from the Captain's Office. Captain Stanley stepped to the door way of his office and greeted the visitor. "Good morning what can I do for you?" He asked with a gentle smile on his face.

"I'm looking for Roy Desoto."

The Captain waved his arm and said "Right this way," Stephanie followed him through his office into a large garage with a fire truck and a smaller red truck stood waiting for the next call. "What's your name?" Cap asked as he pointed toward another doorway. "Stephanie Mason," she said as she looked at the Fire truck and Squad. Cap recognized the name. Roy had spoken of Stephanie frequently over the past few weeks.

"Are you felling better?" The Captain asked. Stephanie nodded her head as Cap escorted her into the kitchen/training area of the station. "Roy, you have a visitor." Roy was standing over by the sink washing the breakfast dishes. He quickly grabbed a hand towel from the counter and dried his hands as he walked over to greet Stephanie.

"Hey, you look much better than the last time I saw you," he said.

"I feel a lot better too," Stephanie replied. Other members of the team heard Cap announce a visitor and they came into the kitchen.

"Aren't you going to introduce your friend Roy?" One of them, a man with black curly hair, brown eyes, and a mustache asked. Before Roy had a chance to speak Stephanie heard someone behind her call out.

"Hey Stephanie, how are you?" Stephanie turned to see Johnny standing over by a cork board, pinning papers to it.

"I'm doing a lot better. Thank you, Johnny." Then Roy stepped over to Stephanie, rested his hand on her shoulder, and introduced her to the other men.

"Guys, this is Stephanie Mason." Then, as he pointed to each of his fellow coworkers he told Stephanie their names. "This is Marco Lopez, Mike Stoker and Chet Kelly, and I think you have already met Captain Stanley." Stephanie reached out and shook hands with each of the men in turn.

"What's in the bag?" Chet asked her, when she came to him. A smile came to her face as she turned to Roy and held the bag out for him to take.

"I baked you some cookies to thank you for all you have done for my Mom and me." Roy took the bag of cookies from her. Then she turned back to Chet. "It's up to Roy to decide whether to share them with the rest of you, or not."

"I know Roy will share them with me," Johnny said as he came strutting over. He reached out to take the bag from his partner. Roy quickly pulled the bag away.

"I need to taste them first. Gotta see how good they taste. I may want to keep them all. I've heard Stephanie is a real good cook." Johnny glared at Roy as he slipped his hand into the bag and pulled out a cookie and took a bite. "Boy, these are good!" All the other men then started to complain about Roy being stingy and not sharing. Stephanie looked at Roy with an apologetic look on her face.

"I know I should have made more, but Mom and I can't afford it," she said. At that point, Roy handed the bag over to Johnny and asked him to pass it around. He was always planning to share them with the other guys. He was just enjoying making them beg a little. But when Steph made her last comment, Roy didn't feel like teasing the others any more.

Within minutes the cookies were all gone and the men were raving about how good they were. With a broad smile Johnny stepped over to Stephanie and offered to give her a tour of the station, holding out his arm for her to take. Stephanie returned his smile and slipped her arm into his and they left the kitchen. As Johnny showed her around she was surprised to see the men working on various duties, including house hold cleaning. When Johnny had finished the tour he took her back into the kitchen where Roy was now drying the dishes and putting them back into the cupboards.

Stephanie marveled that men did all the cleaning of the station and did a good job at it too. Stephanie had few memories of her father and they didn't include cleaning or being helpful around the house at all. She was also enjoying all the attention the firemen were giving her and she didn't want to leave. She stepped over to where Roy was drying the dishes and offered to help him finish the job. Roy thanked her and handed her a second towel. As Roy and Stephanie finished with the dishes she began looking around for other excuses to hang around the station longer, when an idea came to her.

"Chet," Stephanie called out. "If you really liked my cookies, I would be glad to make more on the condition that you buy the ingredients." She soon realized that Chet was not the only one to approve of this idea. The men all turned to Captain Stanley and waited for him to agree or disagree.

"I don't see a problem with that," he said, and the men gave a cheer. They got Stephanie a piece of paper and pencil to write down the list of ingredients needed for a batch of cookies.

"Would you like me to bake them today or on another day?" she asked.

Everyone seemed to have an opinion and Stephanie was feeling a little overwhelmed by the noise and confusion. Stephanie was startled by a loud noise that rang out into the station, followed by a voice that said 'Squad Fifty-one, child with breathing problems' and then gave an address. Stephanie stepped back as she watched Roy and Johnny head for the Squad while the Captain hurry over to a radio station and picked up a mike, acknowledged the voice and handed Roy a slip of paper, just as the squad pulled out onto the road with its sirens blaring.

Once the squad had left the building Stephanie looked at the other men.

"Don't you need to go too?" she asked.

"No," Cap answered. "There are times when we roll out with the squad and other times when only the fire engine is called out." Stephanie quietly followed the four men back into the kitchen. She watched to see what they would do or say about her still hanging around. They all seemed to act as if she wasn't there as they went about doing their chores. Finally, with a sigh, she headed for the front entryway. As she stepped into the office she found Captain Stanley sitting at his desk. He looked up and smile at Stephanie. "Do you want us to drop off the ingredients at you apartment or are you going to make them here at the station?"

Stephanie thought a minute.

"I would like to make them here if it is okay?"

"Sure," he replied. "When will be a good time for you to do that?"

"Any time is good with me," Stephanie replied, starting to feel good about her visit again.

"How about Tuesday? That's when our next shift is," Cap suggested.

"That's good," Stephanie confirmed. "I'll be here at nine o'clock that morning." Then she retrieved her bike and rode off to the library before heading home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7  
The Cheerful Little Helper**

Stephanie was looking forward to her next visit to the station. On Tuesday morning, she got up with her Mother and set about taking care of the few household chores she was responsible for and then off she flew to the fire station on her bike. She pulled up to the station to see both vehicles parked on the driveway with the bay doors opened. Both Johnny and Roy were mopping the bay floor.

"Hi," she called as she stepped off the biked and waved to them. Roy called out for her to park her bike in the back, so Stephanie pushed her bike around the station and came in through the back door. Chet was the first to greet her. She liked Chet. He came hurrying over to her and offered his assistance in the kitchen.

"That might be helpful," Stephanie replied. "Since I don't know where you keep everything." Chet showed her where all the equipment she needed was stored, as well as the ingredients. Stephanie set to work mixing the cookie dough. Not long after she started the tones, alerting them to a call, rang out through the station.

'Station Fifty-one, automobile accident on Franklin and Adams. Time out nine twenty-three.'

All of the men hurried to their vehicles. As Chet hurried out of the kitchen he called out to Stephanie.

"Don't worry we will be back soon." Stephanie smiled and returned back to her cookie dough. Soon the first batch was in the oven. While they were baking, she cleaned up the dishes she had used and a couple of coffee cups that were left out on the table. By then the first two batches of cookies were done. After she put the next sheet of cookies in to bake, she looked around for something else she could do to help out. She stepped into the empty bay and saw the mops that had been quickly shoved aside in there hast to respond to their call. Stephanie picked up one of the mops and proceeded to finish mopping the bay floor, stopping from time to time to rotate the cookies through the oven. When the fire engine returned, she was in the back cleaning out the mops and bucket.

As Chet stepped off the rig he started sniffing the air.

"Now that's a wonderful smell to come home too!" He exclaimed as he hurried into the kitchen to help himself to several cookies. The Cap walked over to where Stephanie was rinsing out the mop buckets.

"Looks like you have been a busy little beaver," he commented as he realized she had finished mopping the bay floor.

"I'm happy to help," she told him with a smile of contentment on her face.

Soon all the cookies had been baked and the remaining dishes cleaned up and put away. At this time, Stephanie noticed that almost half of the cookies were already gone and Chet was coming back for more.

"Hey, save some for Roy and Johnny," Stephanie exclaimed, as she quickly moved to stand between the cookies and Chet.

"Just one more," Chet begged.

"No!" Stephanie answered as she worked to keep between him and the cookies. Just then the Squad returned. Roy and Johnny climbed out of the squad and hurried into the kitchen.

"Did they save us any cookies?"

"Yes," Stephanie replied as she stared Chet down. "But it was a struggle," Chet dodged around her and grabbed another cookie. "It's a good thing I made a double batch," she added, shaking her head.

At that moment the tones of the alarm sounded again and the engine crew was called out to a brush fire. As the four firemen ran out of the kitchen, Captain Stanley paused on his way out.

"Thank you for the cookies. We'll have to have you back to do it again sometime," he said before running for the engine. Stephanie heard Mike, Chet, and Marco yell out thanks as well. Stephanie turned to see Johnny sitting down at the table with a glass of milk and a pile of cookies on a plate. She laughed.

"Are you sharing those with Roy or are you planning on eating them all by yourself?" Johnny looked up at her as he took a bite out of one of the cookies. A look of confusion on his face clearly showed that he didn't comprehend what she had asked him. He quickly washed the first cookie down with a drink of milk before posing a question.

"What?" This made Stephanie laugh even more and she waved a hand at him and shook her head as she stepped over to where Roy stood munching on a cookie of his own.

"I would say that my cooking is a hit at Station Fifty-one," she said with a feeling of pride. Roy quickly agreed.

"You need to give Johnny some cooking lessons. Next shift, it will be his turn to cook dinner and I think I'm safe in saying no one is looking forward to that meal."

"My cooking isn't that bad!" Johnny exclaimed, turning in his seat.

"Your cooking isn't that good either," Roy replied. This conversation gave Stephanie another idea.

"I make pretty good lasagna. Maybe I could come and make it for you? To give Johnny a break, as well as the others," she suggested.

"That sounds good to me," Roy said. Johnny was trying to act offended but both Stephanie and Roy could see that he was entertaining the idea as well.

"Not that I couldn't fix a good meal, but lasagna does sound good," he conceded. Stephanie reminded them that she couldn't afford the ingredients, but Roy was quick to calm her concerns, reminding her that neither he nor the others would ever expect her to do so. Then he stepped over to the phone in the kitchen, picked up a note pad and waved Stephanie over to the table as he sat down.

"Now you tell me what you will need and I will make sure Johnny gets it for you." Johnny quickly scowled at Roy.

"I can get the ingredients without your help," he said. As soon as Stephanie had finished listing the ingredients, Roy handed the list to Johnny.

"Come on we need to finish mopping the floor," he said his partner.

"Don't worry about it," Stephanie quickly told them. "I finished it for you."

"Thanks," Johnny told her, as he stood headed towards the refrigerator to get more milk.

"Well Steph," Roy said as he stood up from the table. "Johnny and I have other work to do, so it's probably best if you went home now." Stephanie knew this would be coming, but she had wished it would have happened later rather than sooner.

"Okay Roy," Stephanie replied as she turned towards the back door to the kitchen. "I'll be seeing you later."

"Next Friday for the lasagna, right?" Johnny quickly asked.

"Yes," Stephanie answered. "I will be here at five, that way dinner will be ready no later than six-thirty. You might want to pick up some French bread or garlic bread to go with the lasagna."

"I'll do that," Johnny agreed. Stephanie waited a moment, hoping she could somehow convince Roy to let her stay a little longer. But Roy spoke and the hope vanished.

"We'll see you on Friday." Stephanie waved as she walked out the door and over to her bike. She decided to head to the library and then go back home.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8  
"Baby Sitting"**

It was Thursday afternoon and Stephanie was sitting in the recliner reading a book when the phone rang. When she answered, she was surprised to hear Roy on the other end.

"Hello Steph," Roy greeted.

"Hey, what's the occasion for the call?" she inquired. "I haven't forgotten about tomorrow," she quickly added.

"That's good, but that is not what I was calling about," Roy explained. "Do you remember your offer to babysit?"

"Yes."

"Well, Joanne and I want to go out for dinner tonight, so we need a babysitter. Are you interested?"

"Yes, that would be great," Stephanie answered. "I'd love to."

"Great. I'll pick you up at four-thirty," Roy said.

"I'll see you then," Stephanie replied, then said goodbye and hung up the phone. Even though Stephanie had told Roy that she'd love to baby sit, the truth was she had only done so twice and both times for the same family. They had one eleven-year-old daughter and all she needed to do was fix a meal, which was something she did every day at home and then play a board game with her until her parents came home. Roy had told her that he had two young children. This was going to be a new experience for her.

When her mother came home from the motel, she told her about babysitting for Roy and Joanne that evening. She always let her mother know where she would be because she didn't ever want her to worry. Stephanie was ready and waiting for Roy when he picked her up.

"Thank you for accepting on such short notice," Roy said, as he opened the passenger side door for her.

"No problem," Stephanie said. "It's not like I would be doing anything else." Stephanie enjoyed the ride to Roy's home. He had the top down on his sporty little car. The wind blew her long hair all over the place. "Next time I will need to bring a scarf to pull my hair up," she commented.

When they pulled into Roy's driveway, Stephanie could see his two children playing on a swing set at the side of the house. When Roy stepped out of the car they both came running.

"Hi Daddy," the little girl said as she held her hands up to Roy, indicating that she wanted him to pick her up.

"This is Jenny," Roy told Stephanie. "She's three-years-old, and this guy is Chris. He's six years old," he explained, as Chris came over to stand next to his dad, wrapping an arm around his father's leg. Jenny was a petite little girl with dark brown hair and Chris was a stout little boy with the same red hair as Roy. Both children were tanned, showing that they enjoyed playing outside. Stephanie smiled at the children as Roy introduced her. "Kids, this is Steph. She's going to be your babysitter tonight." With this information Jenny wrapped both of her arms around Roy's neck.

"No, Daddy!" she exclaimed as Chris turned and hid his face behind Roy's leg. Roy chuckled a little and led Stephanie into the house, still carrying Jenny in his arms. Chris stayed at his side, making sure that Roy was always between him and this new babysitter.

"Joanne?" Roy called out when they stepped into the house.

"I'll be with you in a minute," they heard her respond. While they were waiting for Joanne, Roy showed Stephanie around the house, and gave her a few instructions on the kids' care.

"Their bedtime is eight o'clock. They like to have a bed time story read to them," Roy explained. "The number for the restaurant we are going to is by the phone, as well as the local emergency phone numbers."

"Hi," Joanne said, as she walked into the kitchen where Roy stood holding Jenny and talking to Stephanie.

"This is Joanne," Roy introduced. Stephanie reached over and shook Joanne's hand.

"I talked with you over the phone once," she said.

"Yes," Joanne responded. "It's nice to meet you in person. Roy has told me so much about you and the nice things you've been doing down at the Station."

"Well, just for the A shift," Roy said. "By the way, word has gotten around about your baking cookies for us and the other shifts want to know if you will do the same for them."

"How did they find out?" Stephanie asked. "I'm sure there wasn't a crumb left as evidence."

"Chet," Roy replied simply, a smile spreading across his face.

"I see," Stephanie said. "Well, if they ask nicely and provide the ingredients, I'm sure I can do that for them too." She grinned impishly. It was nice to be wanted, even if it was for her cookies.

Joanne took a few moments to explain what she had prepared for Stephanie and the kids to eat while they were out. Then the Desoto's turned to the children.

"Mommy and Daddy will be back later tonight. Now, you be good for Stephanie and do as she tells you to do. Goodbye!" they said. Roy handed Jenny over to Stephanie, who immediately started fussing.

"It will be okay," Stephanie said, unsure if it would be or not. Having grown up as an only child she was not well versed on little children and what to do to help them calm down. She bounced Jenny on her hip as they waved goodbye to Roy and Joanne. "What would you like to do that sounds fun?" she asked, after closing the door. Chris ran over and hid behind the easy chair and Jenny just kept crying as Stephanie bounced her gently. Stephanie let her eyes scan the room looking for a toy or something that would help the children to calm down and warm up to her. She noticed the small book shelf loaded with story books. "Would you like me to read you a story?"

Jenny stopped her wailing and nodded her head as Chris peeked out from behind the chair. "Chris, why don't you pick out a story for me to read?" Stephanie asked, as she sat down on the couch with Jenny in her lap. Chris ran over to the book shelf and selected several books and ran over and sat down next to Stephanie. She picked up one of the books, opened it to the first page and began to read the story. After she finished reading the first page, Jenny started squirming in her lap and wanted down, so Stephanie let her down and continued to read the story, while trying to keep an eye on Jenny as she wandered around the room. It only took two more pages before Chris stood up and wandered away as well. "I thought you wanted me to read you a story," Stephanie called out to the children.

"Not anymore," Chris said. "The way you read is too boring."

"Oh." Stephanie said, not sure how to rectify the problem. "Well then, is there something else you'd like to do?" Chris shrugged his shoulders. Jenny walked off down the hallway. "_Well I'm doing a great job,_" Stephanie thought to herself. It was too early to feed them dinner and she didn't know if there was anything on the TV that would interest them not. Especially since she rarely watched TV herself.

Just then there came a crashing sound from down the hall way and Jenny started crying. Stephanie raced down the hall looking for her. "Jenny," she called out. "I'm coming." Stephanie found her in her parents' bedroom. She had climbed onto a chair that sat at a desk and the chair had tipped over.

Stephanie quickly ran over to Jenny and picked her up and gave her a hug as she stroked her on the back.

"Shush, little one," Stephanie called out in a gentle whisper, as she carried Jenny back into the living room. She sat her down on the couch and looked her over; making sure that she wasn't bleeding or obviously hurt anywhere. Jenny had stopped crying by then so Stephanie came to the conclusion that she was going to be alright.

Stephanie turned to find where Chris was, only to see the front door standing wide open and no Chris. Stephanie quickly picked Jenny back up and ran out the door to find him. Chris was climbing up the slide of the swing set as Stephanie rounded the corner of the house. She was relieved that he was still in the yard. She set Jenny down, took her hand and walked over to the swing set with her.

"Would you like me to push you on the swing?" Stephanie asked. Jenny pulled her hand out of Stephanie's and ran over to the swing, waiting for help to climb into it. Stephanie helped her into it, and then gave her a little push.

"More!" Jenny exclaimed, so Stephanie pushed her again. "More bigger!" Jenny demanded. So Stephanie pushed her a little harder and soon Jenny squealed with delight. Just then Chris came running around the end of the swing set.

"Me too!" he was shouting. Stephanie helped him climb into a swing and pushed him as well. Stephanie stayed outside playing with them for an hour and a half. When she announced that it was time for dinner and that they all needed to go back it to the house Jenny started to run away.

"No! Me want to play," she squealed. Stephanie quickly followed after her, picked her up, swinging her around. Jenny squealed with delight then turned and wrapped her arms around Stephanie's neck. Chris came over, grabbed hold of Stephanie's shirt and followed her into the house. Stephanie fixed their dinner and fed them. Then she gave them a bath, as per Joanne's request and dressed them in pajamas.

"Your Daddy told me you like a bed time story," Stephanie said. "What kind of story do you want me to tell you?"

"Three little pigs!" Jenny shouted.

"Peter Pan," Chris suggested. Stephanie sighed.

"Where are the story books?" she asked. Chris hurried over to the book shelf, pulled out the Peter Pan book and then carried it over to Stephanie. "Where is the three little pigs book?"

"We don't have a book. Daddy just tells us the story," Chris explained. Stephanie took the book from Chris.

"I'll read this one first and then I'll tell you the story of The Three little Pigs."

"No, me first," Jenny demanded.

"Daddy always tells the pig story first and then he reads my story," Chris explained.

"Okay," Stephanie acknowledged and began to recite, to the best of her ability, a story about the three little pigs. She hadn't got very far in the story when Jenny stopped her.

"No, like Daddy does."

"How does Daddy do it?" Stephanie asked.

"He makes funny voices," Chris told her.

"Okay," Stephanie said and she started over, telling the story with funny voices for each character in the story, while Chris and Jenny laughed. Then she read the Peter Pan story book using different voices for each character in that story as well. When she had finished the two children didn't want to go to bed, so Stephanie took both children into Chris' room. She laid them on Chris' bed and sang them a lullaby, one she remembered her mother singing to her. Before long they were both asleep and Stephanie moved Jenny into her own room.

She then headed back for the living room, and sat on the couch to wait for Roy and Joanne to return. The next thing she knew Roy was gently shaking her shoulder. She had fallen asleep.

"Looks like someone got sunburned," he said, smiling down at her. Stephanie touched her face and felt the warmth and slight pain that confirmed the sunburn. It must have happened while she was playing outside with the kids.

While Roy drove Stephanie home she told him about her experience with the children and how it was obvious that they loved their Daddy very much.

"I wish I had a father like you," Stephanie admitted. There was quiet in the car for a few minutes before Stephanie went on. "But I have my Mom, and she is the best thing that ever happened to me."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next afternoon Stephanie rode her bike to the Fire Station where she found the men practicing CPR on a mannequin that was named Anne. She started cooking dinner as she watched them work. She was just putting the lasagna in the oven for the final cooking, when the tones sounded. Johnny and Roy were being called to help a person suffering from a drug overdose. Stephanie promised them that she would make sure that there was some food left for when they got back. Then she helped Chet make a salad while the lasagna finished baking.

"How did you get sunburned?" Chet asked her.

"I was playing with Roy's kids in their back yard, while babysitting," she explained. She pointed towards the mannequin. "Chet, can you teach me how to do CPR?"

"Sure, once you have a basic understanding it's not that hard to do," he explained, then called out. "Cap, Stephanie wants to learn how to do CPR." Cap explained that Johnny and Roy were going to be teaching a Basic First Aid course sometime soon and that that would be the best way for her to learn.

"Is there a fee for the class?" Stephanie asked.

"Just five dollars for the book," Cap replied.

"Then sign me up," she said gleefully. The guys had asked Stephanie to eat dinner with them and she agreed on the condition that they saved some for Johnny and Roy.

When Roy and Johnny returned, Stephanie had washed all the dishes and was playing a card game with Chet and Marco. She was having such a good time she didn't want to go home. After eating dinner, Johnny joined in for the next game of cards. Then Roy put a stop to any more games.

"It's getting late and she needs to be getting home, or her Mother will be worried about her."

Stephanie knew that Roy was right so she willingly hopped on her bike and rode home.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It turned out that A-shift was scheduled to work on the Fourth of July, but Joanne had invited Steph and her Mother to spend the day with her and the kids, which they accepted. The children were glad to see Stephanie again. They started referred to Amy Mason as Grandma. She didn't know if she liked that or not, but soon accepted the title.

It was a week after the Fourth of July when Roy and Johnny taught the First Aid Class. Stephanie was the youngest member in the class, but she didn't let it deter her enthusiasm. She listened intently and when it came time to practice on the mannequin, Roy said that she had it right the first time around. Stephanie beamed at the praise.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

**Someone's Missing**

Stephanie had scheduled with A- Shift to bake cookies for them again on Thursday, the Twelfth of July. She showed up right at nine am and the men were happy to see her. Steph worked quickly, soon the first sheet of cookies was out of the oven and the men were gathering around to grab their first one. Only, they had to toss them from one hand to the other, because they were singeing their fingers.

"Hey guys! Be careful, there more to come and plenty for all," Stephanie called out. The men smiled and retreated with their bounty. Then the tones sounded, 'Station Fifty-one, Station One-ten, and Engine Thirty-six, Warehouse fire at the corner of Lamont and Victor, Time out Ten o-seven'. Everyone scrambled and soon Stephanie was standing in the kitchen surrounded by silence. She was able to finish baking the rest of the cookie dough, then help out with cleaning the bathroom and making the beds in the dorm room. She was just starting to think it was time to leave when the fire truck returned.

Stephanie stood in the kitchen waiting to see the men crowed around to get their stash of cookies. But they didn't come running. Finally, Marco came into the kitchen. Stephanie was shocked to see his face blackened with soot, and she could see that he was very tired.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"We're okay, Steph," Marco replied. "It was a mean and hot fire and we're all ready for a shower and a rest. Then we will be ready to go again."

"Can I get you something?" Stephanie asked, as she was really concerned about them.

"No," he said as he smiled at her. "But thank you for your concerns." At that time Mike came into the kitchen.

"Cap's in the shower now and I'm next, then it's your turn," he announced. Stephanie turned and watched for Chet to come in, but after a while, when he didn't appear. She turned to Marco.

"Where's Chet?" she asked. Marco sighed.

"He's at Rampart, he was injured at the fire."

"How bad?" Stephanie asked, as she pictured Chet burnt and bleeding all over the place.

"He'll live," Marco replied. "He hurt his leg."

"How bad?"

"We won't know until Johnny and Roy return."

"Oh," Stephanie said accepting that Chet hadn't been hurt too badly. At least not as bad as her imagination had concocted in her mind. She turned to see if there was something else she could do to keep busy, but all the dishes had been washed and put away and the kitchen was clean as well. She turned to watch Mike and Marco as they sat at the table waiting for their turn to clean up. "Hey guys," Stephanie called out to get their attention. "While you were out I was able to finish making the beds and I cleaned the bathroom too." Both Mike and Marco thanked her for all her helpfulness, with tired smiles on their faces. Marco laid his head on the table. Mike walked over to the refrigerator, opened the door and stood there looking into it for several seconds. Then without getting anything, he closed the door and walked over to the couch. He sat down and leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

At this point Stephanie was feeling like an intruder. Yet she didn't want to leave until she found out how badly Chet had been hurt.

Then Cap came walking into the kitchen, and headed straight for the cookies. He put a few on a plate, poured himself a tall glass of milk and sat at the table. Mike pulled himself off of the couch and headed for the shower. Stephanie stepped out into the equipment bay to get away from the uncomfortable atmosphere in the kitchen. By the time Mike came out of the locker room in a clean uniform, she had about decided to ask if they would call her when they had news on Chet and head home. But as she turned to walk into the kitchen her eyes fell on the big map on the wall.

"_I could stop by the hospital and check on him myself,_" She thought. She quickly located the station on the map, then found Rampart and a good route for her to travel to get there. She stepped into the kitchen to say goodbye. Mike was sitting at the table with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. It looked like Cap had gone back for more himself. "_At this rate there wouldn't be many left for Johnny, Roy and Chet when they got back."_ She told herself. She walked over to a cabinet, pulled out a box of sandwich bags, took out three bags and put three cookies into each bag.

"These are for Johnny and Roy, Please don't eat them," she ordered, leaving two of the bags on the counter. Then she said goodbye, took the third bag with her and rode her bike to the hospital. She walked in through the Emergency room doors and looked around for Johnny and Roy but couldn't find them. Then she saw Dixie standing at the nurse's station. She stepped over to her. "How is Chet doing?" Dixie turned to look at Stephanie and a quick smile came to her face.

"Hi Steph, what are you doing here?"

"I baked cookies for the guys at Fifty-one today." She began to explain. "Since Chet got injured, I thought I should bring him some." She paused for a moment. "I knew that if I didn't bring him some, the others were going to eat them all before he got a chance to get any."

"Would you like me to give them to him?" Dixie asked.

"Well, if it's okay I would like to give them to him myself," Stephanie admitted. Dixie looked at her for a moment,

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't," she said. Then she placed a hand on Stephanie's shoulder and guided her to one of the examination rooms. Dixie stepped in first. "Chet, you have a visitor." Then Dixie moved so Stephanie could step into the room. Chet was lying on a gurney. He was wearing a hospital gown and was covered with a sheet.

"Hey Steph! What brings you here?" he asked. Stephanie pulled the bag of cookies out from behind her back.

"I wanted to make sure you got some cookies," she said. She walked over to him and handed him the bag. "How's your leg?" she asked, looking down at it.

"It's not too bad," he replied. "I just twisted my knee and got a cut that they needed to stitch up."

"I'm sorry you got hurt." She paused, and then spoke again. "I cleaned the bathroom for you."

"That's great Steph," Chat said as he reached out to ruffle her hair.

"It's time to go now," Dixie spoke up. Stephanie turned to her.

"Would you make sure he gets some milk to go with his cookies?" she asked.

"I promise," Dixie assured her. Stephanie then left and started on her way home. A few minutes later Dixie stepped back into the exam room with a carton of milk.

"Here's your milk Chet."

"Thanks," Chet replied.

"It looks like you have a fan," Dixie teased.

"No, she not my fan. She's more like a mascot or something like that." He corrected her. "She stops by every now and again and bakes cookies for us." He paused for a moment. "I think she just likes the company mostly." He paused again. "If she's a fan of anyone, it would have to be Roy. They seem to be good friends."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Stephanie walked through the door of her apartment and let out a sigh. The more time she spent with the guys of Station Fifty-one the lonelier she felt at home. Roy had made arrangements for Stephanie to babysit again tomorrow evening. But that seemed so far away.

Stephanie went to the bed room and picked up the First aid book she had gotten from the class, where she had learned CPR. As she flipped through it she realized that there was more information in the literature that hadn't been covered at the class. Stephanie took the book, sat down at the table and read the book from cover to cover.

Friday morning she hopped on her bike and went to the library, where she researched more information on the subject of First aid. When she returned home she had four additional books that she sat and read until Roy came to pick her up.

This time she was prepared to entertain Chris and Jenny. And before long she became their favorite babysitter. Even Stephanie enjoyed their time together. In fact, Stephanie started thinking of them as a brother and sister.

When Roy and Joanne returned from their evening out, Stephanie was waiting with a list of questions for Roy on the things she had been reading. Roy was shocked at how much she had learned and her understanding. However, he was aware that some of the information was out of date, so he let her borrow his first level training manual so that she could read and learn the current information.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

**A Summer to Remember**

Roy had made arrangements for Stephanie to bake cookies for the other shift. She was also invited back to bake cookies for the A- shift again and again. Stephanie loved hanging around the station and serving in this manner. Each time she was at the station she was able to learn something new. She was even able to help out with cleaning or even hanging hoses, and polishing the squad and Big Red.

Chet was always quick to greet her when she came during their shift, especially when he had latrine duty because Stephanie was always willing to help him clean the bathroom. She also enjoyed helping The Phantom out from time to time. All the firemen who served at Station Fifty-one were kind and appreciative of her services. But Stephanie's favorites were the men of A- shift.

Before the middle August everyone called her by her nick name, Steph. She had also learned that the best time for her to stop by was usually in the late afternoon. That was when the men seemed to have free time and were willing to play board and card games with her. Though she made sure to come and help with the cleaning in the mornings and to cook for them too.

Her summer break from school had started out badly with her appendicitis but then thanks to Johnny and Roy, it had turned into the happiest summer she had ever had. She was also able to earn a lot of money by babysitting for the married members of Station Fifty-one, but it was Roy's family and children she loved and enjoyed being with the most.

Before Stephanie was ready, the summer was over and school would be starting soon. She made arrangements to bake cookies one last time for each shift and then two days before school started she made arrangements to cook lasagna again for the A-shift.

On the day she was scheduled to cook the lasagna, Stephanie had been reading, and lost track of time. When she realized she was late, she knew that she would have to hurry to make up time. About two blocks away from the station, there was an alleyway she needed to cross. Steph knew that there was little to no traffic from the ally so she was planning on barreling across, when the nose of a car came racing out of the alleyway. Stephanie applied the brakes and turned away from the car, but her bike fell and she slid along the road towards the moving vehicle. Luckily, the car was traveling faster then she slid and she slid across the alleyway after the car had passed.

Stephanie stood and picked up her bike. It didn't seem to be damaged, but she had scraped up the right side of her hip, her thigh and her right forearm as well. She was sure nothing was broken, however. She walked her bike the rest of the way to the station. After parking the bike in the back, she walked in thru the back door into the kitchen.

"Hey Steph, it's about time," Chet called out to her as he looked up from the couch, where he was sitting reading the newspaper. He quickly noticed her limp, the rip in her pants and the scrape on her arm. He stood swiftly and ran over to her. "What happened? Are you okay?" He turned his head to call out to the rest of the station. "Hey everyone, Steph's been hurt!"

"Don't! No! Look, I'm fine. I just had a little wreck on my bike," Stephanie said, trying not to make a big deal out it. But soon Mike, Marco and Cap came hurrying into the kitchen and Stephanie was bombarded with the questions of 'Are you okay?', 'How bad is she hurt?', and 'Did she break anything?'

Chet guided her to sit at the table. All the men gathered around her.

"Look guys, I'm okay, I just got a little road rash. All I need to do is clean it up and I'll be fine," Stephanie told them. Cap turned to Mike.

"Run get the first aid kit," he told him. Then he turned back to Stephanie. "Johnny and Roy are on a run or I would have them look you over."

"That isn't necessary," she said, while Cap gently took her arm and lifted it up so he could see the scrape on her arm better.

"Where else are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm not totally sure," Stephanie said, feeling a little crowded. "Why don't you let me borrow your bathroom and I'll go clean myself up. Then I'll come and tell you if I'm hurt anywhere else, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Marco asked.

"I'm sure," Stephanie replied. She stood up, excused herself and headed for the bathroom. When she passed Mike he held out the first aid kit for her to take.

"Don't you want this?"

"Thank you," she said as she took the box and disappeared out the doorway. When she got into the bathroom the first thing she did was take her pants off. She found a large scrape that covered her hip and thigh. She proceeded to clean it up as best she could. It took about a half an hour. Then she put her pants back on and opened the bathroom door, only to find four men standing there waiting for her to come out. Stephanie blushed and looked away. "Look you guys, I'm okay. All I need now is a needle and thread to sew up the rip in my pants, and then I can get your dinner started."

"I have a pair of shorts in my locker that has a drawstring at the waist. Why don't you put them on while you sew up the rip in her pants?" Mike offered. Stephanie consented and Mike headed to the locker room. He returned a moment later with the shorts in hand. Stephanie took them and slipped back into the bathroom to put them on. When she came out again, the men were still waiting for her. When they saw the scrape on her thigh they grimaced.

"That's a bad scrape you've got there," Cap said.

"Yes it is," Stephanie said with a sigh. "But you know what; I'm going to live so let's drop it and let me get to work." With that, she walked into the kitchen and put a pot of water on to heat up for the lasagna noodles. Then she looked at the Chet. "You were going to get me a needle and thread?"

"Oh yea," he said, getting to his feet and heading out of the room. Stephanie then pulled out the frying pan, got the hamburger out of the refrigerator and plopped it into the pan to start browning it. When Chet returned she looked over to Marco. "Marco can you finish browning the meat for me?" she asked, taking the needle and thread. She sat down at the table to sew the rip in her pants. She was just finishing the task when the squad returned. Cap quickly stood and went out to meet Roy and Johnny. Cap and Roy then came into the kitchen.

"Cap told me you took a spill on your bike. May I please take a look at your scrapes?" Roy asked Stephanie. Stephanie turned to Captain Stanley and glared at him, but she did consent to let Roy look at the scrapes on her arm and what was visible on her thigh, since she still had Mike's shorts on. She stood up, lifted her arm and offered it to Roy for him to look at just as Johnny come into the kitchen carrying one of the equipment boxes from the squad. At that point Stephanie got the giggles.

"The way you're acting, one might think I was in inch away from death, it's not that big of a deal," she said. Roy continued to examine at her arm.

"I think we need to clean this up a little more and put a bandage on it and the other scrapes as well," he said. Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Let's get this over with. I have lasagna to cook," she said. Roy turned to Johnny.

"You take the arm and I'll take the thigh." As Roy moved to pull up the pant leg of the shorts she was wearing, Stephanie quickly pushed Roy's hand away, her face turning red.

"Maybe we should do this somewhere a little more private," she suggested.

"Oh," Roy said. "Tell you what, why don't we just run you over to Rampart and let Dixie clean you up?" Stephanie quickly shook her head.

"Mom and I can't afford another visit to the emergency room; we're still paying off my last visit." At that point it dawned on Roy. Most of the money that Steph had earned this past summer babysitting had gone to help pay off her hospital bill.

"How about the locker room or the dorms," Cap suggested. Stephanie realized that they wouldn't back off until they were satisfied that the injuries were well cleaned and covered. So she nodded her head and the three moved out of the kitchen. Roy steered her over to the dorms. Once they were past the door, Roy spoke.

"Why don't you lay down on my bunk and that way I can clean the scrap on your hip too?" Stephanie stared at Roy, not sure she wanted to allow him access to that area. "I promise to be very discreet and professional," Roy quickly added, when he recognized the look on her face. Stephanie gave in reluctantly and lay down on her left side. She pointed a finger at Johnny.

"Roy is the only one who gets to peek at my hip," she said. Roy and Johnny both flushed a bit at that comment. Though they may not have known it, that was the one thing they did that brought her the most comfort, as far as her privacy was concerned. The two men worked quickly, quietly and discreetly and soon Stephanie was back in the kitchen to finish cooking the lasagna.

As the seven sat together eating dinner, the men convinced Stephanie to tell them about the accident. After she was finished, it opened the way for the others to tell stories about bike accidents that happened to them, when they were kids. The evening turned out to be a fun and enjoyable time after all. When it came time for Stephanie to go home, Roy insisted on loading Stephanie's bike into the back of the squad and driving her home.

The next morning Roy called Amy Mason and told her about Stephanie's accident. He first assured her that he had taken care of her injuries, then explained that the reason he had called was to check with her to see if Steph had ever received a tetanus shot. Amy informed him that she hadn't. Roy offered to give Stephanie a ride to the hospital where she could get one for free. Amy consented and promised to write a note giving permission to have it done.

"You know Roy. It's been a real comfort to know you're helping to keep an eye on my daughter," Amy told him before their conversation was finished.

After his shift, Roy picked Stephanie up and took her to Rampart where she received her tetanus shot, and then returned her back home.

"I guess last night was the last time you will get to stop by the station for a while," he said as he parked in front of the apartment. Stephanie nodded.

"Yes, school always keeps me pretty busy." Roy took her hand.

"Well, I want you to keep in touch and if you need anything don't hesitate to call," he told her.

"I can still babysit, you know. We can always use the extra money, and be sure to remind everyone else to call me when they need a babysitter too," Stephanie reminded him.

"I'll do that," Roy said. Then he watched as Stephanie hopped out of the car and ran into the apartment building.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

**Killjoy Brice**

Even with school keeping her busy, Stephanie really missed being with the guys. As it turned out, A-shift was scheduled to work on Labor Day, so Stephanie made arrangements to bake cookies for them and hang out.

Stephanie was so happy to be spending the day with the guys that she arrived a little earlier than normal, only to find that both trucks were out on a run. So she went straight to work on mixing and baking the cookies. She was also able to change all the beds in the dorm, scrub the bathroom, and mop out the equipment bay. She was just finishing cleaning up in the kitchen when the engine returned. Stephanie stepped into the door way of the kitchen to greet the returning firemen. One by one the men climbed off the engine. Stephanie had become accustomed to seeing the men blackened and tired after a fire. She knew that their first priority was to get cleaned up. While the Cap was in the shower, she provided each of the others with a warm washcloth to clean their faces, which they were grateful for. She made cold lemonade for all of them as well. Soon the four men were clean and refreshed. And since Stephanie had finished most of their chores they took a break and played a card game.

When Stephanie heard the bay door go up she jumped from the table and the card game to go greet Roy and Johnny. Roy stepped out of the squad and waved to her. Stephanie waited for Johnny to round the end of the squad so she could welcome him back as well. But it wasn't Johnny who came around the end of the squad. It was another man that Stephanie had only seen once or twice the past summer. Stephanie turned back into the kitchen and hurried over to Roy.

"Where's Johnny?" Roy explained that Johnny had broken his leg in a fire two days ago and that he would be out for the next six to eight weeks. Stephanie was saddened with this news, and she was aware of the fact that Roy was missing his partner too, even more then she was. Roy introduced his temporary partner. "Steph, this is Craig Brice. He's filling in for Johnny until he is able to work again. Brice, this is Stephanie Mason. She comes by from time to time and bakes cookies for us."

"It's nice to meet you Craig," Stephanie said as she shook his hand.

"Please call me Brice," the man told her, before continuing in his stuffy manner. "The cookies smell good." Roy informed Brice that he was heading for the shower and stepped out of the room. Stephanie hurried off to get a warm wash cloth for Brice and a glass of lemonade. Then she settled back down to finish her card game with the others. Brice watched the other men and Stephanie while he drank his lemonade. Then he stepped over.

"I do believe we all have work to do men. We don't have time for playing cards," he said. The men all turned towards Brice with a scowl. Stephanie saw the looks that the new man was getting and spoke up.

"Don't worry Brice, I've already changed the bedding, scrubbed the bathroom, mopped the equipment bay and cleaned the kitchen. And after we finish this game, I'll help you change out and hang the hoses."

Brice's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"What?! We are required to perform these duties. That's regulation." Stephanie was shocked by this man bluntness. She hadn't done anything wrong by helping her friends out. She quickly turned to Captain Stanley.

"Am I going to get you guys in trouble by helping out?"

"That is the regulation Brice, and if Steph was here every day doing our work for us there would be problems. But she isn't. And I for one like a break especially on days that start out like today," Cap said. He reached over and wrapped an arm around Stephanie's shoulder. "However, if it will make you feel better you can get to work hanging the notices on the bulletin board and fill out the squad's paper work. Oh, and you can clean up the bathroom after everyone is done showering."

Stephanie didn't like Brice and she was finding his glares disturbing. Soon Roy was out of the shower and walking into the kitchen. He rubbed his hands together.

"Where are those cookies?" he asked, but the smile on his face fell when he noticed the grumpy faces of his fellow shift mates and Stephanie.

"The bathroom awaits Brice, you can leave anytime now," Chet announced. Brice turned and left the kitchen.

"What's up?" Roy asked, after he'd left.

"Brice was chewing Steph out for helping with the cleaning," Chet explained, as he stood from the table and walked over to the door way of the kitchen to watch Brice disappear behind the bathroom door. Stephanie turned back to Cap.

"Am I getting you in trouble?" she asked a second time. This time all the men answered, in their own way, that Stephanie was not causing problems, that she was always welcome to the station and had nothing to worry about. With a long face Stephanie turned to look at the door were Brice had left the room. "Maybe I should go home now," she said, and began moving towards the back door of the kitchen. Both Chet and Marco began to protest, but Cap held up his hand.

"You are always welcome here, Stephanie, but we all understand if you're not feeling comfortable with Brice around," he told her.

"I think it would be best if I go home," Stephanie replied. Then she looked over to Roy. "Will you make sure that Johnny gets some cookies? I would take him some myself but he lives too far away for me to ride my bike there." Roy nodded.

"I will make sure he gets some. And that he knows you were thinking about him."

With that Stephanie turned and left.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Roy stopped at Johnny's apartment on his way home from work the next morning. He knocked and then let himself in so Johnny wouldn't have to get up.

"Morning Johnny," he called out as he came in.

"Come on in Roy." Johnny called back. He was lying on the couch with his leg elevated with pillows. He was eating a bowl of cold cereal.

"How you doing?" Roy asked. Johnny was quick to pick up on Roy's darkened mood.

"What did Brice do this time?" Roy handed Johnny a bag of cookies.

"Steph wanted to make sure you got some cookies," he said, as he sat down in the only other chair in the room with a sigh. "Brice made Steph feel unwelcome and she left earlier then she normally would have."

"What?!" Johnny exclaimed.

"He chewed on her for doing our cleaning chores. She thought she was getting us in trouble," Roy explained.

"You set her right, didn't you?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, Cap explained to Brice that since she didn't do it that often there was no problem with her helping out. Then we all made sure she knew she was welcome to stay, but she went home anyway."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Later that evening, Johnny called Stephanie to thank her for the cookies and for thinking about him.

"I just want you to know that you are always welcome at the station, whether Brice is there or not," he told her.

"Thanks Johnny, Chet and Marco stopped by to tell me the same thing. I know that I'm welcome. Thank you for letting me know how you feel," Stephanie said. After she hung up the phone, there was a warm feeling inside her that she didn't think she had ever really felt before.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

**Heart Attack**

It was a cold night in November and Stephanie was sitting at the kitchen table, working on homework. She was almost finished when her mother came home.

"You're up late tonight," her mother said as she hung up her coat.

"I'm almost done," Stephanie replied, looking up at her mother. She noticed that her mother seemed paler than normal. "Are you feeling okay Mom?"

"I'm fine dear," Amy answered. "I'm just tired." She pulled out the other chair at the table and sat down next to her daughter. "Stephanie I have to work on Thanksgiving."

Though this information was expected Stephanie still felt disappointed. "I'll call Roy tomorrow and tell him we can't come."

"No," Amy said. "I want you to go. That way I won't have to feel so bad about you being alone."

"Its okay mom, I'm used to postponing Thanksgiving Dinner so we can celebrate it together," Stephanie countered. Amy smiled and brushed Stephanie's hair out of her eyes.

"I promise we will do that too, but I still want you to go enjoy dinner with the Desoto's." Stephanie had been looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Roy and his family but she was also looking forward to having her mother there as well. She wanted her mother to have a relaxing day where she didn't have to cook and clean up, or at least not have to do all of the work, since she knew that her mother would not sit still when work needed to get done.

"We'll see," Stephanie replied, and that was all she was willing to commit too. Amy looked at her wonderful daughter and sighed.

"It's okay to have a good time without me Steph." Then she stood and walked towards the bedroom but she suddenly stopped and grabbed at her chest.

"Mom!" Stephanie had been watching her mother and was so alarmed at her mother's actions that she jumped to her feet knocking her chair to the floor. When she reached her Mother and saw that her face had turned white, she became even more frightened. "Mom, what's the matter?" Stephanie asked, but she began to recognize the signs of someone who was having heart trouble. "Mom come sit down in the recliner." Stephanie guided her mother to the recliner. Amy sat down and saw the worry that was evident in Stephanie's eyes.

"I'll be okay," she told her daughter, as she struggled to catch her breath. "Just let me rest for a minute and then I'll feel better."

"Mom, I'm calling Roy," Stephanie said as she ran to the phone.

"No," Amy said, "I'll be okay in a minute." But Stephanie wasn't going to take any chances. She picked up the phone and dialed the number for the fire station, knowing Roy was on call. The phone rang three times before someone picked up the receiver.

"Station fifty-one, Captain Stanley speaking."

"Cap I need help!" Stephanie nearly shouted into the phone. "I think my mother is having a heart attack!"

"Slow down now. Is this Steph?" Cap asked.

"Yes."

"Okay Steph, just calm down," Cap said, trying to soothe her. "Johnny and Roy are on their way."

The ring of the phone had woken all the men, and they had been listening to Cap's side of the conversation. When Roy heard Cap ask if it was Steph, he flung back his blankets and sat up quickly slipping his feet inside his waiting turnouts and boots with Johnny following suit.

"What happened?" Roy asked as he approached the desk.

"Hold on a minute Steph," Cap said and then looked up to Roy. "Steph thinks her mother is having a heart attack."

Roy quickly ran to the squad. Johnny had already opened the bay door and was sitting in the passenger seat. Roy quickly put on his turnout coat and climbed behind the steering wheel. He filled Johnny in on what Cap had told him. Johnny radioed dispatch.

"LA, this is Squad fifty-one; we are responding to a possible heart attack, the address is one fifty-six Clark Street, apartment number twenty-five, cross street Franklin. Repeat, that is one fifty-six Clark Street, apartment number twenty-five, cross street Franklin."

"Ten-four fifty-one," came the response.

Cap asked Stephanie to stay on the line, but when Amy cried out in pain and slumped over in the chair, Stephanie dropped the phone and ran to her mother's side. Letting all the knowledge she had been studying take control, she quickly felt for her mother's carotid pulse. There wasn't one so she pulled her mother onto the floor and laid her flat. Then she began mouth to mouth resuscitation, starting with two breaths. She landmarked her mother's diaphragm and started CPR, using fifteen compressions followed by two more breaths. Stephanie didn't know how long she had been working on her mother, when, what seemed like out of nowhere, Roy and Johnny were at her side.

"Stop Stephanie," Roy said as he checked for a carotid pulse. When he didn't detect one he told her to continue compressions, while Johnny opened the defibrillator and started it charging, and Roy took over the breathing with the aid of the air bag.

Stephanie heard Johnny call out, "Clear," and she pulled away from her mother and watched as her body convulsed as the electrical shock coursed through her body.

"Flat line, continue," Johnny said as he charged the paddles for a second time. "one, two, three, Clear," he called again. Stephanie pulled away for the second time and watched her mother body convulsed again. "Sinus rhythm," Johnny announced.

It was then that Stephanie lost control. She sat there looking at her mother with a vacant stare and tears rolling down her face. To Stephanie it seemed like she was watching from a distance.

Roy called to her and asked her to move out of the way, but Stephanie didn't respond. Roy quickly took her by the arm, pulled her to her feet and sat her down at the kitchen table. He asked her to stay there, and then he returned to his partner and her mother. Johnny was communicating with Rampart.

"Patient was in cardiac arrest when we arrived, CPR was being administered and we gave shock treatment twice. The patient is now in sinus rhythm." Stephanie watched as Roy and Johnny stabilized her mother, loaded her onto the waiting ambulance gurney and rolled her out the door.

Stephanie remained seated at the table until Roy returned. He walked over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Steph; let's get an overnight bag for you. Then you can come to the hospital with me." Stephanie quietly stood and walked into the bedroom to get a few of her belongings as Roy had instructed. She moved to the bathroom to get her toothbrush and hairbrush, and then she pulled a change of clothing from the dresser. Moving over to the bed she pulled her nightgown from under her pillow, where she had placed it when she made the bed that morning. Her mother's nightgown came out with it. Stephanie picked it up, held it to her face and sunk down to the floor by the bed and cried. What would she do if her mother died?

Roy came into the bedroom when he heard her crying. He knelt down next to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. Stephanie turned into him, burying her face into his shoulder and cried. Roy wrapped his arms around her and whispered words of comfort to her as she cried.

After a while Stephanie settled down and together they finished gathering her overnight bag, locked up the apartment and drove to the hospital.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13  
Goodbye**

When they arrived at the hospital Johnny was still in the examination room helping Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early and Dixie work on her mother to get her stabilized. Roy took Stephanie to the waiting area, and then he stepped over to the nurses' station, where he called Joanne and told her what had happened.

"I'll be bringing her home with me in the morning," he explained. He would have asked Joanne to come and get her but she would have had to wake the children to bring them with her or leave the children at home alone. He didn't want her to have to do either. After hanging up with his wife, Roy returned to Stephanie, and they waited for word on her mother's condition.

As Stephanie sat in the waiting area she thought about life without her mother. What would happen to her, being a minor she would be placed into foster care and who knew where it would be or who she might end up with. It was only about fifteen minutes after Roy sat down that Johnny stepped out of the examination room. Roy stood and went to met Johnny in the hallway. Stephanie remained sitting, watching the two men for signs that would indicate her mother's current condition. Johnny and Roy conversed with each other for a few minutes before they turned and walked back to where Stephanie was sitting.

Stephanie searched Roy's eyes with her own, pleading with him in her mind to tell her that things weren't as bad as they seemed.

"It's not looking good," Roy said as he sat down on one side of Stephanie and Johnny on the other. "Your mother has suffered a major heart attack and there is significant damage to her heart. If she lives she will have to cut back on a lot of her activities."

"When can I see her?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't know," Johnny answered. "The doctors are still working with her."

"But I need to see her before she dies," Stephanie pleaded as she looked from Roy and then back at Johnny. "Please I need to say goodbye."

"Hey now," Roy chastened her. "We don't know that she will die."

"You forget Roy," Stephanie said, looking Roy in the eye. "I have been studying your training manuals. I know that her chances are not that good." There was a confidence in her voice to indicate that she was quite sure with her understanding. Roy's eyes lifted to look over Stephanie's head at Johnny to ask him silently what he thought they should do now.

"Let me go ask Brackett," Johnny said as he stood and headed back towards the examination room, where Amy Mason was being worked on. He was gone for about five minutes then both he and Dr. Brackett stepped into the hallway and walked towards Roy and Stephanie. Dr. Brackett looked at Stephanie for a moment before speaking.

"Johnny has told me about what you did for your mother before they arrived and about your request. Normally I would make you wait until we had moved your mother into ICU. But, because you have shown that you can be responsible I will allow you to see your mother for a few minutes, before we move her up to ICU." He held out his hand for Stephanie to take and walked with her to the examination room. Then the two of them disappeared behind the door.

Stephanie looked at her mother lying on the table. Her breathing was assisted with a respirator and she was looking very pale. Dixie moved away from Amy's side so Stephanie could stand next to her mother. Stephanie stepped to her mother's side and brushed a stand of hair away from her face. She then placed her hand on her mother's forehead.

"I love you Mom," she said softly. A knot rose into her throat and she couldn't speak for a few moments. When she was able to speak again, she said, "I'm so proud of you Mom and I'm very grateful for all you have done for me. No one could have asked for more then what you gave me." Stephanie leaned forward and kissed her mother on the forehead. "Goodbye Mom."

Just as she spoke the words, Amy Mason's heart stopped yet again, and the heart monitor's alarm sounded to alert the medical staff to her condition. Stephanie was quickly pulled away from her mother and gently pushed back against the wall as Dixie, Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early worked to restart her heart again. Stephanie watched them work on her mother for a moment, and then she stepped out into the hallway. Somehow she knew that her mother was gone and that they would not be able to bring her back this time.

Roy walked up to Stephanie and placed his hand on her shoulder. Stephanie didn't know what to do or say, so she just stood there staring off into nothing. Her eyes were glassy and tears were streaming down her face. Roy called her name, but Stephanie didn't responded. Roy placed a hand on both of her shoulders and turned her to face him. He gently shook her, as he called her name for the second time. He gently shook her, as he called her name for the second time. Stephanie slowly looked up at Roy for a moment silently, and then spoke.

"She's gone." Stephanie pulled out of Roy's hold, walking back over to the waiting area where she sat down and continued to stare off into oblivion with the same glassy look in her eyes. Dr. Brackett and Dixie stepped out of the examination room. Roy took one look at their faces and knew Stephanie's brief statement was true.

Roy walked back over to where Stephanie was sitting.

"Steph," Roy called to her, as he sat down in the chair next to her. Stephanie didn't respond. Roy reached out to touch her arm and then called her name again. Slowly Stephanie turned and looked at Roy for a moment. Then she leaned into him and buried her face on his shoulder as she burst into sobs for the second time that night. Roy wrapped his arms around her and held on to her with tears running down his own face. Dr. Brackett, Johnny and Dixie watched them for a moment before leaving to give them a bit of privacy.

It was about ten minutes before Stephanie was all cried out. She pulled away from Roy and asked, "What going to happen to me now?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Roy replied. He stood, pulled Stephanie to her feet, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and then walked with her over to where Johnny and Dixie stood talking. "Dix, could you find a place for Steph to lie down and get some rest?"

"Sure," Dixie replied with a warm smile on her face. "I'm sure Dr. Brackett wouldn't mind you borrowing the couch in his office." Dixie reached out a hand for Stephanie to take, but Roy held up his hand.

"One minute first." He put his hand under Stephanie's chin and gently lifted her head so he could look her in the eye. "I will be back for you after my shift is over, and you will be going home with me, where you can stay until we work out all the details." He wrapped his arms around her again. "But until that time I need you to stay here and try to get some rest, okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head, Dixie lead her off down the hallway to Dr. Brackett's office. Roy looked over to Johnny.

"I want to make a quick phone call, and then we can head back to the station." He went over to the phone and called Joanne to let her know about Amy's death.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14  
Where to Go from Here**

Cap and the rest of the men were wide awake when the squad backed into the bay. When Johnny and Roy entered the dorm area they saw Captain Stanley sitting on his bunk. Cap knew from their faces that things were not good.

"How bad?" he asked quietly. Roy shook his head as his eyes filled with tears and a knot rose in his throat. Johnny knew Roy was not able to speak at the moment, so he stepped forward.

"She didn't make it." Three other heads popped up out of their beds, all asking for confirmation on what had just been said. Roy walked over to his bunk and sat down, while Johnny quickly described the events from the run. Johnny couldn't help but smile a little as he explained what Stephanie had been doing when they arrived. "You all would have been proud of Steph. When we came into the apartment there she was performing CPR on her mother. No one could have done better. When we stepped in she kept working with us, just like we trained her in our first aid class." Johnny dragged his hand through his black hair and let out a sigh. "She remained in that professional mode until we got Amy back to a sinus rhythm."

"Where's Stephanie now?" Chet asked. Roy was finally able to find his voice and answer.

"She's still at Rampart. Dixie's keeping an eye on her." He took in a deep breath before continuing. "I'll be picking her up in the morning and taking her home with me."

"Okay everyone, let's get back to bed," Cap said, and everyone lay down in an effort to go back to sleep. But over the next hour, one by one, all six men found themselves sitting around the table drinking coffee and sharing stories of their summer with Stephanie. They all soon realized that Stephanie was more than a friend; she had become a member of their family. Each man vowed that they would be there for Stephanie as she prepared to bury her mother.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Stephanie didn't know what her future held now. She knew that she would be turned over to Child Welfare Services, since she had no known relatives she could go to. Where would she end up? Probably in some kind of foster home, or since she was fifteen years old, she might be put into a group home. It had always been just her and mom. They always looked out for each other. Stephanie thought about the possibility of losing some, if not all, of her freedom.

"_I will lose my quiet time to read and they will tell me where and when I can and can't go_. _I wouldn't be allowed to visit my friends at Station fifty-one anymore."_ The more she thought about the possible changes to her life, the more upset she became. Stephanie had pulled her legs up, wrapped her arms around them and, burying her face into her knees, she cried until she could cry no more. Then she just sat there rocking back and forth as her mind went blank and her eyes glassed over. Stephanie wasn't even aware of Dr. Brackett when he stepped into the room to get something from his office.

Kel had stepped into his office for a reference book. He quickly grabbed the book and moved to step back out of the room. On his way out he caught sight of Stephanie.

"You should be trying to sleep." Stephanie didn't answer him. She didn't even look at him. Dr. Brackett stepped over to where she sat rocking. "Are you okay Steph?" Again, there was no answer. Brackett quickly stood and headed out of the room, leaving the door open. He went straight for Dixie. "Dix, I need your help with Stephanie."

Dixie looked up from where she was doing inventory on supplies, a worried look on her face. The two returned back to Brackett's office. Dixie went over and sat down on the couch next to Stephanie, putting an arm around her.

"Steph are you okay?" she asked. When Stephanie didn't respond, Dixie tried to take her arm so she could take her pulse. But Stephanie's grip on her legs was tight. Dixie looked up at Kel. He shook his head with a sigh.

"Let's give her some Diazepam and get her in a bed where we can keep a closer eye on her." Dixie nodded and hurried out of the office. When she returned she had a syringe in hand and was followed by two orderlies and a gurney. Dix gave Stephanie the shot in her arm, and sat next to her until the medication took effect and she relaxed. Then she was put onto the gurney and taken upstairs to the pediatric ward.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Roy walked up to Dixie, who was sitting at the nurse's station.

"Hi Dix, where's Stephanie?"

"Let's go get some coffee," Dixie said as she stood and began moving towards the doctor's lounge. Roy was immediately worried.

"Is Stephanie okay?" Dix gave him a weak smile and nodded slightly, then headed off to the lounge, with Roy following behind her. After they both had a cup of coffee and were settled at the table, Dixie began to explain how Dr. Brackett had found Stephanie and the steps that were taken to help her relax and sleep. Roy ran a hand through his hair, feeling great sadness for this young woman and friend for all that she was having to deal with. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "She is sleeping well then?" Dixie nodded. "There are a few things I need to take care of," Roy told Dixie. "I'll come back and get her after I'm done."

He stood and thanked Dixie for all her help before he walked out of the room. His first stop was the phone in the hallway. He called Joanne to give her an update on things and then told her he would be home as soon as it was possible. Then he returned to his car and headed for the Mason's apartment building. First, he found the manager's office and informed him of Amy's death. He assured him that he would be helping Stephanie to move out and that he would have the keys to the apartment before the end of the month. Then he went over to the apartment and let himself in. He went to the phone and called Amy's employers, informed them of her death and explained that he would be in contact again soon to collect her final pay check from them. Next, he called Stephanie school and informed them of Amy's death and that she would not be in school for the couple of days.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the end of Chet's shift, the first thing he did was contact everyone who worked out of Station fifty-one and let them know of Amy Mason's death. He told them that he was taking up a collection to help pay for the funeral and to pass the word to anyone who may be willing to contribute. Though he would never admit it, Stephanie was like a little sister to him. From the day she had brought him cookies in the emergency room he knew that she would always hold a special place in his heart, and he was going to make sure to help care and look out for her from now on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Roy returned to Rampart and located the room Stephanie was in. He gently pushed the door open, and stuck his head in to see if she was still sleeping. Stephanie was lying in the bed watching to see who was coming in through the door.

"Hi Roy," she said.

"Good morning," Roy said in a quiet voice. Her walked over to the bed and sat down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?" Stephanie shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her hands. Roy stood and moved to the head of the bed, and took Stephanie's hand in his. Then with his other hand he reached over and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "If it's okay with you I'd like you to stay with me and my family while we take care of everything."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head and moved to get out of the bed. Roy suggested she get dressed while he would take care of getting her checked out. Then he took her home.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15  
Support System**

The trip to Roy's house started out in silence. Stephanie didn't have anything to say and Roy wasn't sure how to begin. He knew he would need Stephanie's participation with the funeral arrangement and the finalizing of Amy's earthly ties. But how could he start this conversation with her, without overwhelming her more then she already was. Finally, he decided to start with what he had already done on her behalf.

"I called your school and told them of your mother's death. You have an excused absence for the next two days."

"Thank you," Stephanie answered, in a voice that was so quiet Roy had to strain to hear it. He waited a few minutes and then continued.

"I also called your mother's employers and let them know as well." This time Stephanie was only able to nod her head as new tears rolled down her face. Roy's word had only served to confirm her mother's death. There was no comfort in them. Her reaction let Roy know that he would have to wait until he was home, and had Joanne's support to help Stephanie deal with what had to be done. Roy had to admit he was struggling with his own emotions. Though he didn't know Amy that well, he did know Stephanie and his heart was breaking for her. Then there was the fact that Amy was a loss no paramedic wants to face. The simple fact that they knew her had made it that much harder to deal with.

As Roy pulled up into his driveway he could see Joanne and Jenny watching for their arrival. As Roy and Stephanie stepped into the house, Joanne came up to Roy, giving him a quick hug and kiss. Then she turned to Stephanie and wrapped her arms around her.

The first thought that came to Stephanie's mind was, _"My mother is gone and I will never feel the comfort of her embrace again."_ She melted into Joanne's her arms and began to cry uncontrollably again. Joanne walked her over to the couch were they both sat down.

"That's it Steph, let it out," she soothed, as she stroked Stephanie's back and rocked the young woman. Jenny had been excited to see Stephanie coming, but when she saw Stephanie crying, she too burst into tears. Roy, who was shedding a few tears of his own, reached down to pick up his daughter. He did his best to comfort her as he walked out of the room, giving Joanne and Stephanie time to work out some of Steph's sorrows together.

Twenty minutes later Stephanie's crying had settled into gentle sobs. Joanne brushed the tears from her eyes and offered a small smile.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. Stephanie nodded, though she didn't really think she was hungry. What she felt was a deep emptiness within, that she didn't understand. "Let's go fix you and Roy some breakfast then," Joanne suggested as she stood and guided Stephanie into the kitchen with her.

Roy was in Jenny's room, playing with his daughter, when he heard Joanne in the kitchen. He picked Jenny up. "Let's go see what mamma's doing," he told her. As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw his wife standing in front of the stove cooking some eggs. Stephanie was sitting at the table. He walked over, set Jenny down in her booster seat and gave her a couple of graham crackers. Then he left to change his clothes. Jenny wasn't sure about the way Stephanie was acting. She had never seen her so sad.

"Steph?" she said questioningly, as she held out one of her crackers. Stephanie looked up and offered Jenny a weak smile.

"Thank you Jenny," she said as she reached out and took the cracker. Jenny pushed back from the table and slid out of her chair. She hurried over to the Stephanie and held her arms up, to indicate she wanted to sit in Stephanie's lap. Stephanie bent to pick her up and Jenny wrapped her arms around Stephanie's neck and gave her a mushy kiss on the cheek before squirming around until she was sitting in her lap, where she sat contently eating her crackers.

Roy returned and set the table for him and Steph. He knew that Joanne and Jenny would have already eaten with Chris that morning before he went to school. Joanne brought the food she had prepared to the table and sat down.

"Jenny, why don't you come over here and sit with Mommy so Steph can eat her breakfast." Jenny slid off of Stephanie's lap and hurried around the table and into her mother's out stretched arms. Roy watched Stephanie as she lazily cut a piece of her egg and stuck it into her mouth. She kept her face down as she ate. Roy finished his toast and eggs, and then stood to go put his dishes into the sink. He signaled for Joanne to follow him into another room. Joanne stood up, put Jenny back into her booster seat with another cracker and followed Roy out of the kitchen. The two of them went down the hallway to their bedroom, where they could talk privately.

"Jo, what do you think about offering to let Steph come and stay with us?" Joanne looked up at Roy, her eyes glistening.

"Oh Roy, I was just thinking the same thing." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss of approval.

"We need check with Child Welfare Services to make sure we can meet all of their requirements. I don't think we should tell Steph until we know if we can do it for sure." Joanne agreed with her husband. When they stepped back into the kitchen, Jenny was sitting in Stephanie's lap again. Roy walked over to the table and pulled a chair over so he could sit in front of Stephanie. He pulled Jenny from her lap and set her on the floor.

"You go in the other room and play now, Jenny. Daddy needs to talk to Steph." Joanne took her daughter by the hand and led her into the living room. When the two of them were alone, Roy reached out and took hold of Stephanie's hand. He waited until she raised her head and looked him in the eye.

"Steph, I'm truly sorry for your loss. Your mother was a good person." He paused, not sure how to continue. "I wish I could protect and shield you from this experience but I can't. However, I will help you all I can." Stephanie was so drained she didn't know how to respond to him. So she sat, waiting for Roy to continue. When he realized that she didn't have the desire to say anything, he went on. "We will need to plan and prepare for your mother's funeral and then get you moved out of your apartment."

Stephanie turned her head away from Roy. This was what she feared. First they will move her out. Then after her mother was buried, she would be turned over to Child Welfare Services. Roy watched Stephanie for a few moments, wondering what was on her mind.

"Stephanie, I'm going to need your help closing out all of your mother's business dealings. I promise you I will be there every step of the way." Stephanie nodded her head, letting Roy know she understood. "We need to do some planning and then I think we should both take a nap." The last part he said with a smile. Stephanie took a deep shuttering breath and looked back up at Roy.

"Thank you Roy. I appreciate all you are doing for me and I promise to pay you back someday."

"Don't worry about that."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next few days were hectic, but between Roy and all her other friends at Station fifty-one's A-Shift, they were able to make arrangements for Amy's funeral and move all of Stephanie's belongings out of her apartment. They found new homes for most of the furnishings and such, and what couldn't be relocated was disposed of.

Chet had surprised her with an envelope full of money that was used to help pay for the funeral. With the money Chet gathered, the last two pay checks from Amy's employment, and the money they found in a small savings account, Stephanie was able to pay all the costs of her mother's funeral. Roy had offered to pay extra for a casket with more chrome and silk lining, but Stephanie wouldn't allow him.

"My mother taught me that all we really need in life is what is functional. She would be embarrassed if she was buried in a flashy coffin."

The funeral was held in a small non-denominational church. Stephanie didn't think there would be very many people who would come, but the small building filled up with a few friends from Amy's employment and all the firemen and their families who served at Station fifty-one.

Stephanie sat on the front row of the small chapel with Roy and his family on her left side. The additional five members of A- shift sat on her other side, with Chet on her immediate right. Stephanie and Roy had worked together to write a eulogy for her mother, which Roy read and then shared a few comments of his own.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16  
From One Family to Two**

After the graveside services, Roy invited the rest of the guys and their families to stop by for a drink. When Stephanie and the DeSoto's returned home, Stephanie went straight to Jenny's room, where she had been sleeping on a rollaway cot. She could hear the door bell ring as people stopped by and bits of their conversation drifted into the room. But she didn't want to be a part of it.

After an hour, there was a knock on the door.

"Steph, can I come in?" It was Chet. Stephanie took a deep breath and then with a sigh she answered.

"Yes." Chet opened the door, came in, and sat next to her on the bed.

"There are several people out there who would like to see you. Would you please come and say hi?"

"I don't really feel like visiting right now," Stephanie replied. Chet wrapped an arm around her.

"Please Steph? It's only your friends out there." With another sigh Stephanie agreed to at least go out and acknowledge her visitors for a few minutes. After all, how much longer would she be able to see them? She got up and followed Chet out of the bedroom. All the members of A-shift and their families were waiting for her.

"Hello, thank you for all you have done for me this past week." Roy came over and took Stephanie's hand.

"Joanne and I have been talking and we would like to ask you if it would be okay for us to become your legal guardians," he told her. Stephanie was shocked. She looked up at Roy and then over to Joanne. She smiled and nodded her head; tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. There was a lump in her throat preventing her from speaking. After several minutes of silence, Johnny spoke up.

"It will be nice to have you as a part of our family." Stephanie turned and looked at Johnny. "_What did he mean by that?"_ Then she looked at the faces of the other adults that were standing and sitting in the room. As she looked at each one, she received a nod of the head and a smile. She turned back to Roy.

"I don't fully understand," she managed to squeak out.

"Well Steph, when I told the guys about wanting to become your guardian…" he paused. "We all agreed that you were already a member of Station fifty-one's family."

"What that means-" Chet said, interrupting. "Is that from now on you have all of us watching out for ya." Stephanie stood silently, her eyes moving from one person to the next. When her eyes came to Johnny he grinned.

"I've always wanted a little sister."

With new tears of joy running down her face. She turned back to Roy, and gave him a big hug. She then looked to Joanne and held her arm out to her. Joanne stepped in to be hugged too.

"Thank you," she said, then looked at the others in the room before continuing. "Thanks to all of you." She tried to say more, but couldn't. Chet, Johnny, Marco, Mike and Cap all came together for one big group hug.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone gathered for Thanksgiving at Captain Stanley's home. A week after that Roy and Joanne DeSoto became Stephanie Mason's legal guardians.

On the evening it all became official; Stephanie and Roy were washing the dinner dishes together while Joanne was getting the kids bathed and ready for bed. Stephanie sniffed a little, causing Roy to look over at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Stephanie nodded before explaining.

"I have always wished for a father in my life and now I have you." She wiped at her eyes. "I just never thought I would have to lose Mom in order for that to come true." Roy took the towel from Stephanie and dried his hands. He wrapped her into a fatherly hug.

"I'm sorry you had to lose your mother Steph, but just remember that with the bad times also comes the good."

Authors note: OK now you have made it all the way through the story, it would be nice to hear what you think. Please leave at least one feedback. Thank you.


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